About August Valentine Kautz

(1828-1895) - Born 5 Jan 1828, Baden, Germany. Died 4 Sep 1895, Seattle, Washington. He graduated from U.S. Military Academy, West Point, Class of 1852.

Biography

About 1828 his parents emigrated to the United States and settled in Baltimore, Maryland. In 1832 they relocated to Brown County, Ohio. He attended school in Georgetown, Ohio, and during the first year of Mexican War served as a Private, 1st Ohio Infantry. A Year after discharge, he was appointed to the U.S. Military Academy, where he graduated 35th out of 43 in the Class of 1852.

Northwest Service

He served for number of years in Pacific Northwest, where was twice wounded during engagements with Indians during the Snake River and Rogue River campaigns. He defended Chief Leschi's innocence in the 1857 murder trial.

While stationed at Fort Steilacoom in 1857, he made a well documented attempt to climb Mount Rainier with four soldiers, a Nisqually Indian guide and the Post Doctor. He reached a point about 400 feet shy of the summit and had to turn back.

Europe

During 1859 and 1860 Lt. Kautz took a leave of absence and traveled in Europe, returning to the northwest in Dec 1860, just prior to the beginning of the U.S. Civil War.

U.S. Civil War

At the outbreak of the U.S. Civil War Lt. Kautz returned to Washington D.C. With the reorganization of the Regular Army in May 1861 he was made a Capt. of the new 6th U.S. Cavalry, and served in the Washington, D.C. defense.

In Sep 1862, he was made Colonel of the 2nd Ohio Cavalry Volunteer Regiment and was sent to Fort Scott on the Kansas frontier. In the following year, after some duty in command of Camp Chase, Ohio, he took part in the pursuit and capture of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan in the course of latter's raid into Kentucky and Indiana.

From Apr 1864 to Mar 1865 he commanded a Division of Cavalry in Benjamin F. Butler's Army of the James, having been made Brigadier General of Volunteers 7 May 1864. He took part in a number of operations against various Confederate lines of supply coming into Richmond and Petersburg, including the fight at Ream's Station on 29 Jun 1864, during James Harrison Wilson's raid. In Mar 1865 was shifted to command of a Division of Negro troops at the head of which he entered the Confederate capital on 3 Apr 1865.

Post War

In May and June 1865 he had dubious distinction of being one of members of military commission which tried the conspirators in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

He was appointed lieutenant colonel of the 34th U.S. Infantry in 1866, 14th U.S. Infantry in 1867, and transferred to the 15th U.S. Infantry in 1869. He commanded this regiment on the New Mexico frontier until 1874, establishing the Mescalero Apaches on their reservation from 1870 to 1871. In Jun 1874 he was promoted to colonel of the 8th U.S. Infantry, and was placed in command of the Department of Arizona in 1875. He served in California from 1878 to 1886, and in Nebraska from 1887 until his retirement on 5 Jan 1892.

During his years at various Indian posts on frontier he wrote several military books including The Company Clerk (1863), Customs of Service for Non-commissioned Officers and Soldiers (1864), and Customs of Service for Officers (1866).

He was the brother of Rear Admiral Albert Kautz. His retirement years were spent in Seattle, Washington. He died in Seattle 4 Sep 1895.

August Valentine Kautz (January 5, 1828 – September 4, 1895) was a German-American soldier and Union Army cavalry officer during the American Civil War. He was the author of several army manuals on duties and customs eventually adopted by the U.S. military.

Contents [hide]

• 1 Early life and career

• 2 Civil War

• 3 Postbellum

• 4 Bibliography

• 5 References

• 6 External links

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Early life and career

Born in Baden, Germany, Kautz as a young boy immigrated with his parents to Brown County, Ohio. He later enlisted as a private in the 1st Ohio Infantry during the Mexican-American War.

Entering the United States Military Academy following the war, Kautz graduated in the class of 1852. He primarily served at Fort Steilacoom in the Pacific Northwest, where he was wounded twice with the 4th U.S. Infantry during conflicts with Indians along the Snake River in 1855. For his gallantry, he was rewarded with a commission as a lieutenant in the regular army.

During his time in the Pacific Northwest, Kautz became a fierce advocate of Chief Leschi, who was executed in 1858. Kautz believed the execution was illegal and that Leschi should have been considered a prisoner of war. Shortly before Leschi's execution, Kautz published two issues of a newspaper defending him. The newspaper was called the Truth Teller, and its masthead stated: "Devoted to the Dissemination of Truth and the Suppression of Humbug."

He returned to the Eastern United States in April 1861, shortly after the outbreak of hostilities between the Union and Confederacy.

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Civil War

Kautz saw action as a captain with the 6th U.S. Cavalry during the Peninsula Campaign from April to July 1862. Transferred to the Western Theater, Kautz later assisted in operations as a colonel with the 2nd Ohio Cavalry against Confederate General John Hunt Morgan's highly successful raid behind Union lines in Indiana and Ohio during June-July 1863 and under the command of Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside at the Battle of Knoxville from September to December 1863.

Promoted to brigadier general of volunteers in April 1864, Kautz led cavalry operations of the XXIII Corps under the command of Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler during Ulysses S. Grant's campaigns against Richmond and Petersburg between April and June 1864. His cavalry division was a part of the Army of the James and was forced to withdraw from its position at White's Tavern following an attack by Confederate Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, on October 7. Kautz was brevetted major general of volunteers in October 1864.

In early April 1865, Kautz marched into Richmond in command of a division of colored troops. He was active during the Union pursuit of Robert E. Lee from April 2 to April 9, 1865, until Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House.

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Postbellum

After the war, Kautz served (from May to June 1865) on the trial board investigating the conspirators involved in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, before performing extensive service in the southwest frontier, including as the commander of the Department of Arizona and commanding officer of Fort McDowell (present day Angel Island), until 1891, resigning the following year. After leaving military service, he lived in retirement until his death at Seattle, Washington. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

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Bibliography

• The Company Clerk (1863)

• Customs of Service for Non-Commissioned Officers and Soldiers (1864)

• Customs of Service for Officers (1866)

References

This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain.